August is National Breastfeeding Month and is dedicated to highlighting the health benefits of breastfeeding for both babies and their mothers. The observance also promotes support for breastfeeding and pumping families. The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) is doing its part to support breastfeeding in a variety of ways. One of the initiatives VDH manages is the Maternity Center Breastfeeding-Friendly Designation Program. It recognizes hospitals for working on their policies and practices that support breastfeeding.
This designation program uses the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding to guide hospitals to encourage families to breastfeed their babies. It’s a global effort to promote breastfeeding in healthcare settings. You can review the Ten Steps below:
- Comply fully with the “International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes” and relevant World Health Assembly resolutions.
- Have a written infant feeding policy that is routinely communicated to staff and parents.
- Establish ongoing monitoring and data-management systems.
- Ensure that staff have sufficient knowledge, competence and skills to support breastfeeding.
- Discuss the importance and management of breastfeeding with pregnant women and their families.
- Facilitate immediate and uninterrupted skin-to-skin contact and support mothers to initiate breastfeeding as soon as possible after birth.
- Support mothers to initiate and maintain breastfeeding and manage common difficulties.
- Do not provide breastfed newborns any food or fluids other than breast milk, unless medically indicated.
- Enable mothers and their infants to remain together and to practice rooming-in 24 hours a day.
- Support mothers to recognize and respond to their infants’ cues for feeding.
- Counsel mothers on the use and risks of feeding bottles, artificial nipples (teats) and pacifiers.
- Coordinate discharge so that parents and their infants have timely access to ongoing support and care.
The World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF launched the initiative. You can learn more about the program and how to apply by visiting our website. Here, you can also see birthing hospitals in Virginia that have participated in the program and are designated as breastfeeding-friendly: https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/breastfeeding-friendly-designation-program/
VDH is very thankful to those hospitals that have worked hard to support breastfeeding and pumping families. We look forward to increasing the number of hospitals we get to work with in the future.